Achieving Distinguished Toastmaster ( DTM ) usually takes years of hard work.
It’s analogous to climbing Mount Everest, surviving 25 missions on a B 17 or achieving a black belt in Karate.
Less than one percent of Toastmaster members ever achieve DTM . The funny thing is many DTM’s start the process all over again right away. The most extreme case I have ever encountered is a DTM who had gone through the process eight ( yes, 8 ) times.
WHY ?
It sounds Sysiphusian at first.
There’s no financial incentive, so there’s no money to follow. The time investment must be staggering.
Nobody has forced them to repeat the arduous process, so there must be something in it for them. To hear them tell it, it's not work. Must be one of those "acquired" tastes like Scotch or Roquefort cheese.
The motivations ( best I can tell with the limited information I have are:
1 ) they make many friends along the way. The process requires them to visit many clubs. Relationships inevitably develop. I have seen DTM’s at leadership training events who seem to be friends with everybody in the room.
2 ) They have witnessed countless individuals progress from terrified rookies to confident, relaxed speakers. The DTM’s know they have played a major part in many success stories.
3 ) They are concerned about letting their newly acquired skills atrophy.
Hey DTM’s. We would really like to hear from you as to why you would repeat the Toastmaster journey multiple times.